


The First of April

by Elrewin



Series: AXG Week 2014 [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-22
Updated: 2014-10-10
Packaged: 2018-02-10 00:29:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2003907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elrewin/pseuds/Elrewin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Starks children have a tradition. Every year on the first of April, it's the one that'll make the best, most original and vicious prank that wins ; and Arya is ready to anything to win, even to break the rules.</p>
<p>Work done for the second day of AXG Week, Forbidden (it's an Arya/Gendry yes).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my work for the second day of AXG Week, Forbidden. I know I'm a little late and I didn't posted the first, but I'm still writing it as it is much longer ! Anyway, enjoy !

« We can't do that Arya ! It's forbidden ! »

« First it's not forbidden, it's just not well-seen ; and secondly it's not like we're stalking them. Don't be such a wuss Sansa ! »

« I am not being a wuss ! But you know that if we get caught we could be in bad troubles, we could get expelled ! And that's without talking of what people will say... »

« Sansa, you and I know that this year's first of April can't be a victory of the boys. Do you remember last year ? Because I do, and I refuse to let that happen again. »

Every year, the Stark brood had kind of an unofficial contest on the first of April. It was the one that made the best, most original and vicious prank who won (one month of his every desires obeyed without a word). However the year before their brothers had played dirty and joined their strengths to attack she and Sansa – and Arya wasn't ready to forgive that.

So they had decided (or rather Arya had dragged her sister) to combine their ideas to not live the fiasco of the previous year (do you know how tiring and sometimes disgusting it can be to be under the orders of four boys ? Because she did, and she wasn't ready to live that again). But first, they had to find out what they were preparing in order to do something worse. But after a few days of non-talking from the boys, no secret reunion, not even a small text, they had concluded they were plotting outside the house. And what best place for that than the locker of the teams of baseball of Winterfell, in which they all played ?

It was perfect. It was forbidden for girls, so they could plot without Arya and Sansa hearing. Arya knew it was there. And she wasn't going to let a tiny rule get on her way.

Luckily the locker room had high small windows and one of them gave way directly on the hallway. She had planned everything : two days ago she had pulled a table underneath and slightly opened the panel. She had carefully studied the rounds of the supervisor to figure out where he would be, and what time would be perfect. She had decided that saturday afternoon, after their training and before they got home was the ideal hour. Then she had dragged her sister, reminding her of the past year, for her to lookout.

The training ended ten minutes ago, and she knew it was time. They hid in an empty class while the boys passed before them ; when the last one disappeared, they slid out. Arya sent her sister to watch the end of the hallway (Sansa protested a little more but Arya sushed her and commanded, in a voice that suffered no argument, to « get her ass there »). Then she climbed onto the table and risked a quick peak into the room.

Infortunatly, this part was empty safe for one boy. None of her brothers were here (she could hear their voices though, half engulfed by the noise of running water) and concluded they were in the shower. Resigned to wait, Arya's gaze slid on the guy.

_He's strong_ , was the first thought that crossed her mind. His back was to her but she could see the muscles rolling under the skin. He had taken off his shirt, only wearing his pants, and was folding it as she looked. Sweat was running down his spine and dripped of his black coarse hair. She let her gaze run on his thick arms, wondering what it would be like to be carried by them.

But her fantasies popped when he suddenly turned, and she lowered her head as quickly as she could (not fast enough though to not notice he was _very_ handsome). At the same time a high-pitched hooting rang ; it was the signal she and Sansa had agreed on if ever someone came close. Arya jumped down the table and ran away, hoping her sister would not see her burning cheeks.

She thus didn't see the knowing smile that lightened Gendry's face.

 


	2. Where the deed happens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as you were a few to ask for a sequel I did one. This chapter tells how goes the first of April ; it hasn't any Arya/Gendry in it (his name isn't even mentioned) but I think I'll do something else for them later ! Enjoy !

Arya opened her eyes almost instantly. Her room was still in the dark – often the case at seven in the morning in the North. She laid still a few minutes in her bed, mentally preparing herself for the day that would follow. It would be difficult, dangerous and exhausting. She would need to be on watch all day long. Because today was the first of April.

Of course her alarm clock didn't ring – weak but classic – but she had taken care to put her phone under her pillow last night. She quickly checked under her bed – once she had found a racoon underneath – before she stood up. She was about to pull on her slippers when an intuition hold her foot. She took the baseball bat and poked at the shoe.

At first nothing happened. She sighed, relieved, but almost screamed when a _living scorpion_ slid out. When a terrifying, high-pitched cry rang in the house she knew she wasn't the only victim.

But Arya Stark wasn't the kind to be cooed by a tiny, mortally venimous creature. She took the nearest book (well, not the nearest because it was the one about her favourite queens, and she refused to let Nymeria and Visenya be hurt because of her stupid brothers. Robb's favourite book would do well) and threw it at the scorpion. When she saw it was still alive, she locked it up in a box with the firm intention to slide it in a hood at one point.

After she checked if no bucket full of water was awaiting her up her door, she slowly went down the stairs. The breakfast, along with lunch and dinner, was the only safe moments of the day. Her mother, after a particulary epic incident involving spiders in the salt and extra-hot pepper in the sauce had decreeted the « jokes » would stop once they were all together. Actually her exact words had been « I fucking don't care if one of you dies, I refuse to find spiders in my coffee. You attack each other if you want but you let your father and I outside of this. » (She had been quite pissed at that moment.)

« Morning, » Arya grumbled as she climbed on one of the high stools.

« Morning dear, » replied her mother.

She gave her her mug of coffee and the box of cereales. She was starting to eat when Robb irrupted in the kitchen.

« Helloo sister, » he swaggered. « How was your waking this morning ? »

She threw him a dark look.

« Good. But I did find an awful bug, so I used your book to smash it. »

« My... I told you if it has a scratch... »

But Bran's arrival cut him off. He only gave her a sweet smile (if you put butter in this one's mouth it wouldn't melt) and went to take his mug in the closet. Then came a very irritated Sansa, Jon and their father. They all sat, glaring at the others, and you could have thought a murder just happened. Ned, used to this, was quietly buttering his toasts.

Catelyn came back with a plate of freshly cut bread and sat at the table too.

« Where is Rickon ? » she asked. « Robb, can you go wake... »

A terrified, gigantic cry suddenly rang throughout the house – and probably the neighborhood.

Robb waited for it to finish, then turned to his sister and said :

« The creepy doll ? Really ? »

Arya grinned maliciously and high-fived her sister. The creepy doll was one of her favourite moves. She would wait for her target to sleep heavily, then go in his chambers and slid the toy into his bed. It was a hell of a doll, really ; she had found it in a sale after Halloween, and it kinda looked like the murderous clown in Jon's horror movies, with extra teeth and eyes strained by blood. Her victim would then wake up, turn around and see the gorgeous creature face to face. It was delightful to hear each time the terrified cries of her manly brothers.

Catelyn sighed but said nothing. As years went by she had learned it has no effect to forbid anything on this day, and had given up a long ago.

They heard heavy steps on the stairs and Rickon appeared, looking passably angry. He shot Arya a murderous glare, to which she only rose her mug to.

« So, » claimed her mother when they were all done eating, « you know the rules. No pranks involving others. Nothing illegal, I don't want to bail you out – again. No harms harder than scratches and bruises. And most importantly, if something happens, _do_ _not_ call us. It's your problem, not ours. Understood ? »

They nodded. It was on.

***

Arya was considerably irritated. It was five in the afternoon, and so far she had dealt with taking a cold shower (they had cut the hot water precisely when she went into it, despite her efforts to be discreet), a rotting fish in her car's tailpipe (explain the smell to the baker), her magazine cut in pieces (these fuckers had had the audacity to do cut-out shaped like wolves – they had taken classes or what ?) and so much more. Though she could brag she had made their day as difficult as hers : Jon was going to have a nice surprise under his pillow, and she had managed a perfectly good headshot on Robb with a bucket of water.

Everyone was on watch, and when Sansa had cried hysterically and broke a very expensive vase when a mosquito brushed her leg, Catelyn had commanded they all go for a walk. They had grudgingly accepted but went all in different paths. The day was not over.

She checked her phone. She had three messages, one from Dany, another from Mycah and another add that promised to make her penis become much bigger (somehow Robb had found it funny to go on adult websites on her phone). Her friends knew the first of April was a cursed day at the Starks', and sympathetically gave her their supports but absolutely refused to get involved – clever bastards.

She was running through the texts when a new one made her phone vibrate ; it was from her father.

« Come home now. Her mother slipped from the stairs, she's in bad state – hurry ! »

Cursing, she turned back and ran. Luckily she wasn't too far and she arrived at the same time than her siblings.

« You got Dad's text too ? » she asked anxiously.

They nodded.

She opened the door and entered first. The hallway was dark, all lights closed. There was no sign of their father. At the bottom of the stairs, a motionless form was bathing in a dark reddish liquid.

« Mom ? » she squeaked, panicking.

She ran towards her mother and put a hand on her shoulder to face her.

Suddenly, Catelyn's hand went to grab her shoulder. She rose towards her daughter a bloody face, moaning, and Arya screamed so hard she thought she made a car alarm switch on. Behind her, her siblings started to yell too.

They stopped when they heard a sudden laugh. Ned Stark, CEO of the Stark industries, known for his solemnity and cold personality, was laughing his arse off watching his children freak out in front of the seemingly dead corpse of their mother. In his hands was a camera.

« Told you it would work, » he said to his wife between two barks of laughter.

Said wife was standing up, chuckling slightly. « Indeed you were right. »

Arya had been too shocked to be able to talk. Her first words were a very calm and distinguished ask for explanations :

« What the hell Mom ! »

Catelyn gave her an amused look.

« Well, every year you throw your little party... »

« It's not a party, it's war ! » yelled Rickon from behind.

« … and every year we feel quite left out. »

« That's because you never wanted to play ! »

« So today we thought we would mess around with you a little. But this went beyond my hopes. What's the deal ? One month of our every desires ? »

« That doesn't count, you were not supposed to participate ! »

« Oh but we did, » answered Ned. « And it very much looks like we won. »

« Yeah, only because you cheated, » mumbled Arya.

« I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of all the chores you're going to do. »

« The day isn't over yet, » objected Jon.

But deep down, they all knew they couldn't do better today.

« Eh, is there still these shows when you can send videos of pranks ? We could get quite a lot with this one. »

« Shut up Dad. »

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, comments are appreciated. They are more than appreciated, they are an author's jam, they're the cherry on the cake, they're the dessert you keep last because it's too good. Please don't let me go to my room without dessert, please !


	3. Where an unexpected meeting happens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys ! Sorry I've been so long to post this chapter. I've been quite busy these months. Anyway, enjoy !

« Hello ? It's me ! » echoed Jon's voice throughout the house.

« We don't know any 'me' here ! Go away ! » Arya yelled, her mouth full of cereales.

It was a lovely Saturday morning at the Starks' house. It was sunny, birds were singing, Arya was awake for less than half an hour and was eating without anyone telling her to hurry. She was ''graciously'' stuffing down her breakfast when Jon irrupted in the kitchen.

« Still as exquisite as a rosebud, » he said as he kissed her temple, ducking just in time to avoid a spoon blow.

« Wa'r yu duin her ? »

« What ? Sorry, I got distracted by your huge mandibles and the poor things between. »

She swallowed labouriously and said :

« What are you doing here ? I thought you were supposed to stay at your dorm this week-end. »

« I was, but I need a book for my biology project with Gendry. I asked Mom and she said we could stay. »

« Mom's too nice. Who is Gendry ? » she asked while taking another spoon of cereales.

« I guess it's me, » a voice rang behind her.

Arya turned and nearly spat out what was left in her mouth.

On the doorframe was standing a very handsome guy, the kind of handsome like those you see in ads for male underwears. He was tall, heavily build with broad shoulders and strong arms. His face wasn't bad either : he had hard features, with a square jaw and eyes so blue they seemed almost black. Arya noted he seemed rather shy though.

But his good looks weren't the reason of her almost incident. She knew the guy. Well, as well as seeing him half naked could be called « knowing » him.

« Come on in, » called Jon. « Despite what we may think, Arya doesn't bite. Arya this is Gendry, my friend and lab partner from college. Gendry this is Arya, my little sister. »

« We have met actually, » corrected Gendry.

Arya's eyes widened. If Jon, or anyone, but especially Jon discovered she had spied on the boys' locker her life was over. She would never hear the end of it.

« Really ? » asked Jon, surprised and a little suspicious – instinctive reflex of the older (and slightly overprotective) brother.

« Yeah. Well... »

That was it. All she had to do now was pray for a lightning to strike her. She closed her eyes. Hearing her end was enough, she didn't need to see it.

« … not exactly 'met'. I've seen her once or twice waiting for you and Robb after practice. »

Arya opened an eye. Had he just lied ? For her ? She glanced at him but he only gave her an innocent smile (and a wink when Jon turned to take the sugar).

She was about to tell how her dwarf turtle needed a bath (' _Yes Jon, I told you I bought it last week, you never listen to me_ ') and get her ass out of there when her mother irrupted in the kitchen.

« Arya, do you know where Rickon put the matches ? I can't find th- Jon ! When did you arrive ? And you must be Gendry isn't it ? »

Catelyn held out her hand and he shook it, his big paw engulfing her delicate fingers. He was very careful not to hurt her though, and he said respectfully :

« Yes. Thank you for letting me stay for the week-end. »

She dismissed his thanks with a wave of hand.

« It's nothing. Are you hungry ? I was about to make lunch. Arya, would you show him the guest room ? And go take a shower. It's almost midday. »

Arya, who had taken advantage of her mother's diversion to slowly slid towards the door, cursed her internally.

« Yeah, » she mumbled, trying to make her voice as less enthusiastic as she could manage.

She jumped off her stool and headed for the stairs. She didn't bothered to look if Gendry was following or not. Once upstairs she gave him a detailed and patient tour of the house.

« Bathroom, Robb's room, Sansa's room, Rickon's room, toilets, my room, yours, » she said flatly, pointing at the doors as they passed by them. « Jon is on the second floor with Bran and my parents. Thanks, have a good day. »

She was about to rush into her room when he seized her wist.

« Wait a minute. I saved your ass back there. »

« No you didn't, » she lied.

« Yeah, I did. I know Jon for long enough to know you give each other hell everytime you can, even if he adores you. So, » he added with a satisfied smile, « that means you owe me one. »

She sighed. She couldn't believe she was getting owned by a guy she had met twenty minutes ago (thirty if you counted the little peak at his anatomy – that, by the way, was totally fortuitous).

« Fine ! » she spat out. « What do you want ? »

« I don't know – yet. I'll figure something. »

Suddenly serious, she stiffened and looked straight into his eyes.

« This is not one of these weird scenarii where you ask me to be your slave and I have to do everything you say – including sexual things ? Because I tell you right now, I'm going to drop the bomb myself. And tell my dad about what you asked. And the police. »

His eyes widened and he dropped her hand.

« What ? No ! Of course not ! Who do you take me for ? I was thinking you could make us food or something like that. I'm not a pervert I swear ! »

He looked genuinely panicked, and Arya did all she could to swallow back her smile. She let him freak out for a few seconds, babbling about how he would never ask her that, before she rose a hand to shut him.

« Alright, alright. I believe you. You get one favor. Now go back to Jon or he'll think we started to make out. »

 _It wouldn't be such a bad thing_ , she thought as he blushed like a maiden, threw his bag in his room and rushed for the stairs. She almost regretted to be in her pajamas.

Almost. Saturday morning was the sacred moment, dedicated to the god of lazyness – the one true god.

***

« So Gendry, » asked Ned, « what are you doing in college ? »

« Studying I'll say, » Arya chimied in.

They ignored her. Rude.

« Engineering, sir. »

Curiously, Gendry seemed almost afraid when he was speaking to the patriarch of the Stark family. Arya didn't know why, as her father had been perfectly courteous with him. But again he could be quite scary to the ones he met for the first time.

« Really ? That's interesting. What do you want to do after college ? »

« Well... » he stuttered, « I'd like to be a mechanician. I like working on cars and I wanted to do it right after highschool but my mom wished really hard to see me go to college, and she sacrified a lot for that so... »

An awkward silence fell after this confession. Arya noticed how embarassed Gendry seemed to be.

« So why are you doing biology then ? » she asked to take him out of his misery. « Jon's passion for pinguins is known by now but I don't know why you would voluntarily inflict that upon yourself. »

« Credits, » he confessed while she dunked to avoid the pellet of bread Jon threw at her. « I needed six more, and I knew Jon from the baseball team so if I had to choose, as well take something where I had a friend. »

« Oh right ! You're in the baseball team, » exclaimed Sansa. « You must know Robb then ! »

« Yeah- yes. I know Bran and Rickon too actually. They are quite good in their teams. »

Bran accepted the compliment with a nod. Rickon, totally oblivious of the conversation, kept stuffing lasagnas in his mouth like someone was about to steal his plate.

« You must know Arya too then, » chimied in Catelyn. « She goes see her brothers play more often than all of us combined. »

He threw her a quick amused glance before turning back to her mother.

« I saw her once or twice. »

Arya dropped her gaze to her plate, finding a sudden interest into the twists and turns of her lasagnas. Luckily Rickon made a sudden diversion when he started choking on a piece of meat.

Once the meal done and the rests cleaned, Sansa grabbed her sister's arm and dragged her to her room (surprising how strong she could be when she wanted, but how she claimed to be ''too delicate'' when it was time to carry the groceries into the house).

« Girl, what was that ? » she asked, as enthusiastic as a puppy on his first walk.

« What was what ? What Rickon spat on the table ? I'm torn between a piece of beef or one of his lungs... »

« Gross. But no, not that. What was with all the looks ? »

« What looks ? »

« The looks between you and Gendry. »

« There wasn't any looks. »

« Bullshit. I didn't feel so much tension between a guy and you since the Christmas we spent at Robert Baratheon's, where you punched Joffrey but you were sat next to him during the dinner. »

« Did I ? Oh yes I remember. Fantastic Christmas. I regret absolutely nothing. »

« You should. But back to Gendry now. Tell me what's happening. »

« Nothing. »

« Arya ! »

« That's my name. »

« Tell me what happened. »

« Nothing. »

« Tell me. »

« There's nothing to tell ! »

« I'm your elder, you have to obey me. »

« You're my elder, you should know that I don't care. »

« Tell me ! TellmeTellmeTelllmeTellme- »

« Alright ALRIGHT ! »

Arya checked outside the room to see if nobody was listening (Rickon had grown this nasty habit to listen to doors then blackmail people with the secrets he got). Then she went closer to her sister.

« Do you remember when we went to the boys' practice before April to know what they were preparing ? » she whispered behind her hand. Sansa nodded. « They were taking their shower. I was looking into the locker to see when they would come and, well, it happened that Gendry was... there. »

Sansa looked at her with horrified delight.

« No way ! You stalked him ? »

« I did not- no, I didn't stalk him. I was waiting for Robb and Jon and Bran and Rickon. »

« But you looked at him. »

« He was the only one in the room ! »

« And you _enjoyed_ it. »

« Well, he's quite decent to look at. »

« He is, » Sansa said, her eyes suddenly drifting away dreamily.

Arya rose an eyebrow.

« You have a boyfriend, » she admonished.

« Just because I can't order anything doesn't mean I can't take a look at the menu, » she shrugged. « But don't worry, » she added with a wink, « I won't chase on your territory. »

« He's not my territory ! »

« Right. Anyway, even if I did I'm sure that wouldn't make a difference. »

« Why ? »

Sansa gave her a piercing look.

« Because I know when a guy wants me. And Gendry doesn't. »

Of course she did. Sansa was gorgeous. She was hit on all the time, of course she knew what it was to appeal men.

That wasn't Arya's case.

She coughed to clear the silence between them.

« Anyway, at one point he turned. I thought he didn't see me – I went down almost immediatly and we ran – but apparently I was wrong. He knows. »

« And ? » Sansa said expectantly.

« And he says I owe him a favor. »

« Oh my god Arya it's so romanti- Wait : he didn't ask for anything weird or sexual right ? »

« I asked but sadly, no. »

« Oh ! In this case it's so romantic ! »

« What's romantic about that ? »

« He could ask you to be his date for a party. Or a kiss. Or a dinner only the two of you. »

« Or he could ask me to clean his toilets. »

« I'm gonna stick with the romantic stuffs. »

« Yeah, you do that. Me I'm gonna come back in the real world and go destroy Bran at Mario Kart. »

She left her sister and went out her bedroom, but she still heard her voice high and clear :

« It's not because _you_ can't see what's going on that _I_ can't see what's going on ! »

« Shut up ! »

***

But whatever Sansa had seen, it didn't appear again. Gendry stayed all day in Jon's room, working with him on their project. Sometimes they even heard curses, especially from Jon, making them wonder about what was shocking enough for them to do so. Perhaps they had made a splendid discovery on the hidden customs of pinguins.

Arya thought Gendry would enjoy his favor but he asked nothing. Maybe he had just been messing with her. Or maybe he was concocting an evil plan ; but somehow she doubted that. He seemed to be a good guy. A little shy maybe ; but it was likely he had only wanted to tease her. Nothing more.

Maybe she would have liked a little more.

 

****

 

They came back for dinner. A strong scent of burning came with them.

« Mom, the day has finally happened. Jon's brain couldn't hold up the pressure and melted. » Arya declared solemnly when they sat.

« I least I have one. »

« Oooh, burn. What's next ? 'I know you are, but what am I ?' ? »

« Don't start, » interrupted Catelyn when she saw Jon about to reply. « Both of you. Gendry, can you give me your plate please ? »

The young man obeyed. He thanked her warmly after she filled it with home-made mashed potatoes. He was very polite, Arya saw, yet he always seemed like something was bothering him. Not in the sense he was annoyed or angry, but like he was embarassed.

« Arya ! »

She teared away her gaze from him. Her mother was staring intently at her.

« What ? »

« Will you give me your plate ? »

« Oh yeah, sure, » she mumbled, embarrassed of being caught staring.

Her father was still working (he didn't used to work that late but since he and his friend Robert Baratheon had merged their companies, he had to work twice as hard to compensate the total lack of seriousness of his partner). Somehow it made her sad the family wasn't whole.

« So Arya, » started Catelyn. « Tell me, do you know who's going to take you to Prom next month ? »

Arya, who just had taken a mouthful of purée, froze.

« What ? »

« Your Prom, » repeated her mother like she talked to a toddler. « Have you chosen a date ? »

« A what ? What are you talking about ? »

« Your Prom, » Sansa said patiently, and a little bit discouraged. To her defense, she was dealing with Arya's total lack of interest in these things for years. « Don't tell me you forgot. It's all the school is talking about since the last two months. At least it was the case when I was there. »

« I was busy studying. And yeaah, I'm not going. »

« What ? Why ? »

By the look on her face, you could have sworn Sansa had just been slapped.

« Don't want to, » simply answered Arya.

« But it's your last Prom ! You can't just not going ! You're going to regret it if you don't. »

« I don't think so. »

« And why is that ? »

Clearly, they weren't going to drop the subject. Arya put down her fork.

« Because I don't think going to something I hate will be my best memory Sansa. I know you loved yours, but for me it has always been a pain in the ass. You spend fortunes on things that will last one evening, to impress people you don't like and won't probably see ever again. When I'll remember highschool I hope I'll see Lommy and Hot Pie doing food contest or start a food fight in the cafeteria. Or when Ned got knocked back by that girl and then we- »

« -skiped class ? »

« I prefer the term ''took for a walk to lighten his mood'' » she said with an annoyed scowl to Jon. « It's not my fault it happened during school time. Or when Dany and I put a snake into Pycelle's drawer and he screamed like a little girl. Anyway, that's the kind of things I want to remember, not dancing with a bunch of guys who probably don't care about me or talk to girls that'll go bitching behind my back. »

« It's not that Arya ! » protested Sansa. « It's an occasion to say goodbye to your friends, or to say what the school has brought you while having fun. Mine was a lovely ev... »

« Of course it was. You were Prom Queen and everybody loved you. »

« That's not... »

But her mother shushed with her hand.

« I understand what you're saying Arya, » she said in a quiet voice. « But I think you will regret it if you don't go. Not now, probably not in a few years but you'll see when you'll be older. It's something you'll wish you did. »

Arya pondered for a few minutes, before she shrugged.

« Fine. I guess I can have a look. But don't expect me to wear a puffy dress with lace and ribbons like Sansa's. My dignity has its limits. »

Her mother smiled.

« I expected no less of you. »

 

***

 

Arya closed her door behind her, her towel stuck under her arm. She had learnt long ago that the evening was the better time to take her shower – between Sansa who took at least one hour to brush her hair, apply an impressive amount of creams, make-up and whatever cosmectic that may reach her hand, Robb that claimed he was good to nothing as long as he hadn't taken his shower, Rickon's habit to cut hot water when they were in, there was possibly no way she would be ready every morning. As the middle child, she had learnt to make concessions. Maybe more than the others.

As she turned she bumped straight into Gendry. The lad was standing behind her, obviously wanting to reach his room. She stepped back, rubbing her nose.

« My god, what are you made of ? Stone ? » she grumbled.

He laughed.

« No. Only muscles and skin. »

Arya noticed how tight his shirt stretched on his chest and could only nod internally. He had muscles, that was plain. Very many, well-defined muscles. She still remembered the sight in the locker...

She stopped her mind before it started wandering like a horny rabbit. She looked for something witty to say but found nothing (if it had been Jon or Robb she could have teased about the little fatty buoy around their belly but damn, this man had _nothing_ ). She took a step aside.

He passed by her, silently thanking her. She was about to go to the bathroom when his voice hold her back.

« Did you truly mean it ? »

« What ? »

« What you said at dinner. »

« I said a lot of things at dinner. Most of them are not worth remembering. »

« About Prom. »

« That ? Yes. Why ? Does it shock you ? Are you a member of Team Lacy too ? Wait, do you believe women are supposed to like these things ? »

« What ? No. I mean, I was thinking that maybe, you and I... If you agree of course... Well it's hard to... »

« Spit it out Waters, » urged Arya, her patience starting to run low. « Rickon is coming up soon and I swear if I don't get any hot water, you'll- »

« Would you go to Prom with me ? »

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Dany was a teacher's assistant at that time. That's how she and Arya met.
> 
> I wasn't planning at all to go into that direction, to make it so... silly. I'm a little too old for dreaming of Prom ^^ But it just happened, and my mind wouldn't go elsewhere. So I stick with it.
> 
> I hope you liked it. I tried to work on the humor, hope it shows. As usual, leave a comment to tell me what you thought about it !

**Author's Note:**

> Any feedback is appreciated =)


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